On Who Knows What and Whom and How they React

The latest scandalous cooperation and coalitions between left activists and fascists needs to be roundly condemned. The discussion around this is being documented.

Last year we had incidents such as the candidature of Tomasz Zakrzewski, the Warsaw „fuhrer” of Niklot in elections in the organization „Social Warsaw”. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman were Lapski from Confederation of Labor and Ciszewski from Workers' Initiative.

This week, the Warsaw Commission of Workers' Initiative published a statement on the „lies” that antifascists are supposedly making against them. We can read the following:

„The participation of Piotr Ciszewski in the electoral campaign of Social Warsaw is his private initiative and only he is responsible for the mistakes made in this campaign. According to our knowledge the activists of SW did not know that Tomasz Zakrzewski belongs to the fascist organization Niklot, and he did not say anything racist or fascist during the campaign. After the elections, Tomasz Zakrzewski was kicked out of SW... „

(Bolding by translator)

There are only a few problems with this. First of all, all people active in politics in Warsaw know what Niklot is. Second, Zakrzewski was active on the Social Warsaw Facebook and on the private pages of members, including Ciszewski. So it is very unlikely that nobody went on his page, which has had a certain banner on top, since 2012.

Now usually, if somebody has a big NIKLOT banner on their Facebook page, you can sort of figure things out.

But, if you don't know your candidate, in fact, if you have no idea who you are putting on your lists and asking people to vote for, it could be possible that you totally miss the fact that you have signed up the fascist fuhrer.

That doesn't explain though the reaction of these people when other people starting talking about it. News of this awful candidate was printed on numerous webpages, Facebooks and blogs of anarchist and leftist activists and even in the mainstream press.

I think those who were following could remember the reaction. „We don't check our members” quoted above. Or the laughing at antifascists on Zakrzewski's profile. Or the criticism of the „antifascist campaign” on the profile and comments of Piotr Ciszewski.

In fact, during the whole campaign, these two „leftists” only criticized antifascists, Ciszewski calling for a boycott of the ZSP and calling a prominent leftist who criticized this cooperation a „sectarian”. They did not kick the fascist out of the organization and the organization continued to promote him.

What then? Maybe afterwards they distanced themselves?

As we see, Zakrzewski can be quite active on the Facebook of Ciszewski. Making fun of antifascists, justifying himself....... together with the moral support of other members of the Workers Initiative. And this isn't the past – this is today, this is yesterday.

Are the members of Workers' Initiative concerned? Why be concerned with this episode when they can make accusations themselves!

After such a pathetic explanation of this affair, what better way to turn attention around then to tell one comrade of mine to „say hi to Putin”? (I am talking about Malinowski, delegate to the last Red and Black Coordination meeting in Madrid, involved in brushing this incident under the rug and making diversion rumors.)

To be clear, we just don't have anybody in our group who supports the new red-brown party called „Zmiana” which is composed of Eurasianists, leaders of the Falanga, the Komsomol and a few leftists from the authoritarian communist tradition.

To also be clear, some of us know people who went into Zmiana. I have a photo of myself with a member of Zmiana somewhere. (!) Does this fact mean that I support Zmiana or not criticize these people who went in? Hell no!

This, I think is a normal thing. If you are an antifascist and somebody you knows goes into a group with fascists, you can condemn it. Or you can stay quiet or try ways to justify this. But that approach is just the thing that allows the further development of red-brown coalitions to develop.

The fact that I know somebody who went into Zmiana and I criticize this party and that person, is not the same as being a candidate with a fascist and when being called out, criticizing antifascists and eventually coming up with some lame excuse.

The story gets even more pathetic. Folks like Malinowski try to insinuate that some friend of mine is pro-Putin because somebody that he met twice went to Zmiana – even though the comrade clearly explained his position and has been regularly criticizing that formation In the meanwhile, buddies from Malinkowski's union are in much more regular contact with Zmiana members and Ciszewski commented the following:

„A few people asked me what I think of the party Zmiana. Well, it is like mixing kefir, pickles, marmalade and spiritus. Almost all the ingredients are digestible, but putting them together because they are „all food” gives a known effect.”

Not very clear. Maybe later in discussion something that could clarify his position? A comrade criticized all this and Ciszewski replied.

„First of all, it is your obsession with this getting cozy with fascists …. Criticizing Zmiana for „fascism” I will leave to the Greens. For me it is senseless because there is no common vision.”

Answer: „I understand. Let's go back to the narration that Bekier and Zakrzewski didn't say anything fascist to me. Clever. „....

Further, argument of our comrade with a half dozen members of Zmiana.

So, to summarize, we have all of these conversations copied for posterity and reading through. It is clear to see who has spoken out against cooperation of the left with fascists and who has not.

As to the „explanation” given that somebody did not know about running in election with a fascist, I do not accept it, since it is coming from somebody who for years as defended fascist elements by attacking antifascists and apparently sees the Falanga as just another left party. „Brilliant” answers to criticism of cooperating with fascists from Ciszewski usually are of the sort „you sound like Gazeta Wyborcza” (mainstream newspaper), „you sound like the Green Party” or something related to supporting NATO. These arguments are just good examples of reactionary thinking.